Reasons Why Talk Radio is the Secret To Your Success!

Reasons Why Talk Radio is the Secret To Your Success!
As a national pr firm who is a provider of talk radio
guests, we're frequently hired by marketing, PR and ad
agencies to arrange interviews for their clients on talk
radio shows around the country. We've been doing this for
nearly 15 years and have found it to be an amazing
marketing strategy.

With probably 1,000+ talk radio interviews under his belt,
nutritional products spokesperson, Dr. W. Wong says, "Talk
radio is the greatest way to get your message across to a
large group of people at one time. There's a captive
audience during morning and evening drive times, in the
middle of the day with stay-at-home moms, people in the
workplace and for those folks awake late at night. Without
question - talk radio provides the best bang for the buck!"

Talk radio may honestly be one of the best-kept marketing
secrets there is! There are many reasons why this is true,
but let me give you eight to start with:

1.THE RIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS. Every year Talkers Magazine does
a research project to profile who's listening to talk
radio. And, every year their survey confirms that the talk
radio listener is, "diverse, educated, attentive, active
and affluent..." If this describes your clients' customers
- it's a perfect match!

2.TARGET AUDIENCE. Not only are the demographics of talk
radio great - but your clients can also reach their target
audience. With specialty talk shows on health,
relationships, lifestyles and more, we can identify shows
that are a perfect match for their message!

3.EFFECTIVE SALES TOOL. A compelling interview on talk
radio can sell your clients' products without the audience
even realizing they've been sold! And, if it's a good
interview, listeners will want to know how to purchase it
right away. The best news is that most hosts will freely
mention your clients' website address or toll free number
to accommodate their listening audience. Or direct
listeners to stores that carry their products!

4.THIRD PARTY ENDORSEMENT. As you know, talk radio hosts
have loyal followings - that's how they maintain their
ratings. And listeners tune in daily to hear what their
favorite host is talking about. When your client appears as
a guest on their show, listeners hear an implicit
endorsement of them and their message.

5.CREDIBILITY. As you know, this is a crucial ingredient in
every marketing campaign - and talk radio supplies it in
abundance. One of our clients told us, "...every show I've
appeared on - the host tells his listeners about my great
expertise, my many accomplishments and how proud they are
to have me as a guest! Of course, the more important I am,
the more important the host appears to be. As far as
promotion and credibility goes - it just doesn't get any
better!"

6.ENOUGH TIME TO TELL THEIR WHOLE STORY. As a guest - your
clients have far more than 60 seconds - they have ten to
sixty minutes of quality time with a very targeted and
attentive audience. They have time to effectively tell
their story, talk about the quality of their products and
how it can benefit the listeners. If they have a media
trained spokesperson, the listener will be completely
motivated to pick up the phone and place an order. It's a
perfect opportunity to get their full message heard and
understood by the masses - all of which should result in
sales!

7.COST EFFECTIVE PROMOTION. Of course, talk radio
interviews are all done by phone. So, without ever leaving
their home or office, your client can have a direct and
oftentimes live conversation with consumers around the
country.

8.IMMEDIATE EXPOSURE. Your clients can be on the air within
two to three weeks! And, because talk radio keeps up with
changing times and topics, we can continuously create new
angles for their topic that reflects current events, to
keep them on the air and in the news on an ongoing basis.

----------------------------------------------------
Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on publicity
for authors for nearly two decades as CEO of Event
Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to
receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest"
visit http://www.emsincorporated.com .

Know Thy Enemies!

Know Thy Enemies!
We have all heard the phrase, keep your friends close and
your enemies closer. How true this rings for your business?
Well, it is a matter of whether your business survives or
fail!

We all know that setting up a business means taking a share
of the market and defending it from your competitors. This
is the reality of doing business whether online or offline.
So to become successful, it is important to understand your
direct competitors and indirect competitors.

1. Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats (SWOT) Analysis

To understand your competitors, you can perform a SWOT
analysis. This is a good tool to analyse your competitors
and yourself too. This should be the first step before you
set up your business.

Look at your competitors' product range, features, price
range and quality. Then you take stock of your own product
range, features, price range and quality. By benchmarking
your competitors' products to your own, you can map out
your competitors' as well as your own strength and
weaknesses. This will help you to formulate your strategies
to compete more effectively. If you are weak in an area but
strong in another, put emphasis on your strong points and
don't challenge your competitors in your weak points.

On the flip side of it, your competitors can challenge your
weak areas to gain market share, so you have to make sure
that your strong points are good enough to compensate for
the weak ones.

Take note take your competitors' weaknesses can be new
market opportunities for you. And your weaknesses may be a
threat to your business survival.

2. Distribution channel

Most products available in the market have complements and
substitutes. Eg, a customer walks into a supermarket and
wants to buy ham. However, he could not find ham, so he may
choose to buy Spam instead. As a buyer, we will always find
substitutes for products that we cannot find.

So what does it mean? Well, having an effective
distribution channel that can reach your target customers
at their location will help you greatly in closing your
sale.

3. Future Competitors

Apart from your existing competitors, you have to brace
yourself for new competitors jumping into the market. By
establishing a strong customer relationship and a good
strategy, your business should be able to hold off new
challenges.

In general, new entrants like to compete on pricing, ie
they focus on low price. This strategy can work for you as
a double edged sword. If the new competitor offer low
priced and inferior quality products, then you can
establish your brand as a superior quality product.
However, if they offer superior quality products at a
cheaper price, then you may have to engage in a price war.

All in all, you need to strategise your plan of attack and
defence constantly. In order to formulate successful
strategies, you have to know what are your strengths and
weaknesses as well as your competitors. With these
information you can take advantage of your competitors'
weaknesses by using your strong points while defending your
weakness from competitors' attacks.

As the business environment is in constant fluid, you need
to constantly know your enemy and know thyself as well.

----------------------------------------------------
Hai Liang strive to help novice internet marketers to
succeed in their home based business. To find the best home
based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at
home visit http://www.AutoPassiveProfits.com

Five Pieces of Writing a Press Release

Five Pieces of Writing a Press Release
Most people seem to believe they can write a press release,
mail or email it to a radio or television station and sit
back and wait for the avalanche of phone calls. But as
time passes and no producers are beating down the door,
they make a few phone calls only to discover that no one
even read the release.

The following five important components of radio and TV
press releases will make your show idea come to life for
producers and hosts, and also position you ahead of the
pack.

1. Headline! Headline? HEADLINE!!! Arguably the most
important aspect of your press release, headlines are so
vital that entire books written and seminars focus on how
to construct the most effective ones. Now, don't let this
scare you. Writing a killer headline is definitely a skill
that can be developed; all you need is a clear and concise
overview of your topic.

Write down your show idea and look it over. Now look it
over again, remembering that it should be an idea for an
interview that relates to your book but most definitely not
a summary of the book's theme or content.

What is your key message? Is your show idea newsworthy?
Are there any well-known people you can tie into your
topic? Do you have any impressive statistics that are
relevant? Does anything controversial tie directly into
your subject? The answers to these questions will help you
develop a headline that will capture the attention of
producers and hosts.

Your headline must communicate the topic of the show
instantly in an eye-catching way. It should not be longer
than one sentence and it should be designed to function as
the sound bite on your topic. Now that's a lot of weight
to put on a single sentence!

Sometimes, you will need a subhead to support it. If your
headline gives just a taste of your show topic, then a
subhead will be useful for explaining it further. Anyone
who reads the headline and subhead together should
immediately click what the concept of the show is.

Here are two examples of the successful headline and
subhead combination:

GLOBAL ECONOMIC CHAOS? Expert Reveals Predictions on Grim
Future of US Economy

WISH YOU WERE FIRED?! The Secrets to a Happier Life

2. Topic Summary This is your chance to present a concise
summary of your show topic. It should continue naturally
from the headline and expand on it. The headline gets the
attention and the discussion topic gives the reader more.

The discussion topic component of your press release should
be two or three sentences, tops. Again try to tie your
topic to current events, big names, big money, or
controversy. Don't be worried about repeating yourself in
different sections of the press release. After all, you
want to get a cohesive point across! Tip: try writing the
headline and topic summary together.

Here is an example of a headline and topic summary which
were written together. Notice the bolded words and how
they tie the two together.

Topic Summary: The United States is about to move into a
period of major economic chaos and poverty that will wake
up people to overthrow the rule of money in society in a
ballot-box revolution. Let internationally renowned expert
reveal predictions on the grim future of our economy.

Headline: GLOBAL ECONOMIC CHAOS? Expert Reveals Predictions
on Grim Future of US Economy

3. Talking Points/Questions These are an absolute must for
radio and TV because they are the shaping tools that guide
the host through your topic. Often, hosts read directly
from press releases during an interview. This not only
makes them look knowledgeable; it saves them heaps of time.
So why not have them read questions you've created that
you can answer very specifically, making yourself look
knowledgeable and also making for a great interview.
Yet again you will need to tie in current events and any
controversy that will stir interest. Generally, it is good
to give no more than 10 of these conversation shapers. For
example here are a few examples of questions that were used
in a release for a radio show on "How to Find the Perfect
Pet for Your Lifestyle":

*What are the primary reasons people decide to get a pet?

*What criteria should people follow when choosing a pet to
make sure it fits into their lifestyle?

*What can families do ahead of time to determine what type
of pet is best for them?

*How can families prepare children for the responsibility
of caring for a pet?

*What are some of the things people need to consider before
adopting a puppy or other young animal?

If you do get invited as a guest, your interviews will
generally last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, so concise is
a word you should keep in the forefront of your mind.

Remember: the more interesting the questions, the more
interesting your interview.

4. Topic Overview Once you have gained attention with your
eye-catching headline, topic summary and talking points, it
is time to present your full show idea. This is your
opportunity to position your author (or yourself if you are
your author) as an expert on the show's topic.

Do not write a sales piece here. Write the show. Work the
author's name, personal quotes and product name into the
overview. Use the following liberally to build your topic
and profile: statistics, testimonials, current facts,
specifics from relevant news stories, and professional
credentials. Use anything that will interest the producer,
the host and their audience. Try to limit this section to
no more than a page; the ideal range is 4-6 paragraphs with
no more than 4 sentences in each one.

Here is an example of a Topic Overview of the pet show
discussed earlier:

For some people 'cute' is the only criteria they follow
when choosing a new pet. But deciding which pet to adopt
based solely on the animal's appearance can set new 'pet
parents' up for disaster. After all, puppies don't look
quite so cute when they're chewing your furniture! Lack of
foresight is one of the top reasons an estimated 6 to 8
million unwanted pets end up at local animal shelters each
year.

Enter pet expert Dr. Diane Pomerance, author of the new
book, "Pet Parenthood: Adopting the Right Animal Companion
For You." As a bonafide animal lover, she wants to help
prospective pet owners understand how to make the best
decision when choosing a new pet - and to recognize that
adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment and responsibility
that requires much thought and planning.

"There's no denying the attraction to a cute puppy or
kitten," says Dr. Pomerance. "But people need to be fully
prepared for what's truly involved in caring for that
animal. Realistically speaking, they are bringing a child
into their home. If you don't have the temperament, the
schedule or the space requirements to meet those needs, you
should consider a pet that does fit your lifestyle."

Another important factor that often goes overlooked is how
children in a family will interact with the new pet. Pets
make wonderful companions for children and can help teach
them compassion, responsibility and respect for all living
creatures as well as boost their self-esteem. But it's
important to determine ahead of time what type of animal
best suits the household and what role each family member
will take in caring for it.

Money also comes into play when adopting a new pet. Vet
bills can be expensive and upkeep for some animals can be
costly if they develop health problems.

"The reality is, pets can be expensive and time intensive.
When you love your pet, obviously you want to provide the
best care possible. So it is important to understand the
costs and responsibilities ahead of time when choosing your
pet."

5. Biography Oddly, this is the element people tend to
forget, underplay or overplay. It is important to position
the author as an expert. You can cite a variety of
qualifications -- education, career, relationships,
memberships, travel history, odd pets, and more. If the
book is about religion, for example, anything the author
does that pertains to religion is applicable.

Two warnings: Sensationalizing an author's credentials will
immediately turn producers and hosts off, and simply
rehashing a resume with bullet-points is an absolute no-no.

If you take your time developing exactly what a
book-related interview segment will be about, and then put
lots of thought into developing a press release that
clearly reflects your planning, you will command more media
attention.

----------------------------------------------------
Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on publicity
for authors for nearly two decades as CEO of Event
Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to
receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest"
visit http://www.emsincorporated.com .

If You Are Looking for Leeches, Skip the Pond, Go to Your Credit Card Company

If You Are Looking for Leeches, Skip the Pond, Go to Your Credit Card Company
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Two seemingly unrelated stories caught my attention
yesterday. One was about corporations stockpiling cash and
the other was about consumer savings rates.

Some American corporations really know how to sock it away.

ExxonMobil ended its 2006 first quarter with $36.5 billion
(not million, but billion) cash in hand, according to USA
Today, giving the world's No. 1 oil company more cash than
any company in the USA.

Could you even imagine having $36.5 billion in your savings
or retirement account? That is a lot of moolah, or serious
money for people in the know.

Microsoft was close behind with $34.8 billion in cash.
Microsoft's savings were even more significant when you
remember that Microsoft paid a $32 billion one-time
dividend in 2004 after starting an annual dividend program
in 2003.

Johnson & Johnson was a distant third with $17.2 billion,
but even $17.2 billion is a staggering figure.

Industrial companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 had
stuffed their corporate piggy banks with $642.7 billion by
June of 2006. Imagine just the interest a company generates
on its retained earnings. ExxonMobil earned $946 million in
2005.

The savings rates of consumers are just the opposite.

In 2005 personal savings rates of consumers moved into
negative territory for the first time according to the U.
S. Commerce Department.

That means consumers not only spent all of their after-tax
income but dipped into existing savings or borrowed money,
often with credit cards (the scourge of modern American
finance) to cover their spending.

This is a fact that I learned from QSR, which is a trade
magazine that covers the restaurant and fast food industry.
QRS follows consumer spendable income.

By law other monies evaporate from retirement savings
accounts through forced distributions. Your government
loves to keep consumers spending so the economy grows, and
it could care less whether retirees actually need to
withdraw their retirement funds early.

Your government cannot keep its nose out of your business,
or its hand out of your pocket.

Credit card companies did very well during this period. CBS
reported that in 2004 credit card companies collected $14
billion in penalty charges and other fees, accounting for
nearly half of the industry's $33 billion in profits.

You remember credit card companies. They are the leeches
who loan you money when you do not deserve it and then
bleed you dry until you cannot stand up straight or pay
your monthly bill on time.

Then comes the over limit fee, the late fee and the
interest on the remaining balance, all of which is
calculated to send you to the poor house faster than a
merchant can swipe your credit card for a purchase.

I call credit card companies leeches not to be clever but
to be accurate.

A leech is really a worm, many of which are bloodsucking
parasites, especially of vertebrates, which include
mammals, which include humans. And if you think credit card
companies do not suck the lifeblood out of you financially,
then you will be forever enshrined as their friend in need
of being snookered.

You have no need to go looking for leeches at your local
pond, most Americans are carrying eight credit cards around
with them every day. The average American family has 8
credit cards according to a 2004 report by FRONTLINE (a
PBS-funded web site) and the New York Times newspaper.

Here are a few facts you should know about credit cards:

1) Nearly 144 million Americans have a Visa, MasterCard,
American Express or Discover credit card.

2) 38% of those credit card users pay their bill in full
monthly.

3) 24% pay only the minimum payment monthly. Do you
understand that only one credit card with an outstanding
balance of $10,000 at 18% interest takes 40 years (yes, 40
years) to pay off if you make only the minimum payment of
2% per month? And that is even if you charged nothing else
on the card for 40 years.

4) The average American family carries a credit card debt
of roughly $8,000.

5) Did you know that a credit card issuer (generally banks)
can raise your APR (annual percentage rate) automatically
for any of the following reasons: You went over your credit
limit on another card, you failed to make a payment to
another creditor, or you applied for and received a loan,
including a mortgage loan for a house, a car loan or a
student loan. I am not making this up and some of you
readers know this.

6) Did you know that there are no legal limits on the
amount of interest and fees that banks can charge for a
credit card because two U. S. Supreme Court decisions
permit banks to charge what the market will bear.

This means a credit card issuer could charge you 100%
interest, I,000% interest or 100,000% interest. Wipe that
mocking smile off of your face and smarten up.

Your U. S. Supreme Court was not thinking of you when they
allowed banks no legal limits on the amount of interest and
fees they could charge. I suspect some of those highly
educated justices own stock in credit card companies, and
even if they do not, they should be ashamed to call
themselves justices at any level.

That is why Citibank, the issuer of MasterCard and one of
America's banking giants with its tentacles reaching into
every financial area, moved to South Dakota which has no
cap on interest rates.

Usually credit card issuers move to South Dakota or
Delaware because they are states with weak or no "usury
laws" which regulate interest rates.

So what does all of this have to do with the price of tea
in China? Let us draw a picture for those who cannot
connect the dots.

American corporations are doing well at the moment and
stockpiling money while the consumers that feed them
profits are saving zero dollars and paying high interest
rates.

These high rates are charged not only by credit card
issuers but by predatory lenders who prey on those most in
need who have not done a good job of handling their
finances.

To think that your U. S. Supreme Court allows these kinds
of practices to continue is pathetic. It is neither just
nor reasonable. It is downright cruel and unnecessary and
should stop.

I know this article is not flashy and will probably get
little attention from consumers who continue to act as if
banks are their best friends.

H. L. Mencken figured it out a long time ago when he said
"You can never underestimate the stupidity of the American
people." He said it, not me, but I agree with him in regard
to the 24% of credit card users who pay only the minimum
monthly payment.

----------------------------------------------------
Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Articles with Analysis
and Commentary on 5 Subjects: Sports, Movie Reviews,
Lessons in Life, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing.
My intention is to inform, educate, delight and motivate
you the reader. Read my movie reviews on Captain Jack
Sparrow in all 3 "Pirates of the Caribbean" films. Find my
Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/MovieReviews.html

The History of Savile Row

The History of Savile Row
Prince Charles and Winston Churchill. Jude Law and Muhammad
Ali. Ian Fleming and Daniel Craig. The common thread among
this eclectic list of gentleman is the one holding together
their bespoke shirts from London's famous Savile Row.

Built in the 1730s, Savile Row is named for Lady Dorothy
Savile, wife of the 3rd Earl of Burlington. The majority
of the architecture on the street is the work of Henry
Flitcroft, although several architects have had their hands
in designing the 19th century houses that line the street.
Originally, the homes were occupied mostly by military
officers and their wives. By 1803, however, some of the
custom tailors that occupied streets around Burlington
Estate were beginning to gain popularity and began moving
to the residences on Savile Row.

In 1846, Henry Poole opened a second entrance to his
father's tailoring shop on Savile Row, however there a few
custom tailors occupying the street prior. Henry Poole and
Company originally made military uniforms, but the company
is credited with the creation of the Tuxedo. This is still
a family run business today.

Other occupants on Savile Row include the Hardy Armies
fashion House. Although no longer owned by Hardy Armies,
who retired in 2001, Hardy Armies was the official
dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II. Armies was knighted by
Queen Elizabeth, and his fashion creations were used in the
movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Holding a number of Royal Warrants, Gieves and Hawkes dates
back to the 18th century, having been merged from separate
tailoring houses Gieves and Hawkes. Considered one of the
original bespoke tailoring houses, they now offer ready to
wear options as well as military styles, and they have
several outlets throughout the world.

Nutters of Savile Row is a relatively new entry to the
group of bespoke tailors at the Savile Row location,
opening in 1969. Nutters went a long way in modernizing
the concept of the Savile Row tailors by featuring open
windows with elaborate displays. The customers of Savile
Row have included Mick Jagger and the Beatles as well as
Lord Montagu and the Duke of Bedford.

The most recent entry to Savile Row is Ozwald Boateng, a
Ghana born designer who began making bespoke suits in 1990.
Boateng is the first tailor to have a runway show in
Paris, and the fashion forward Boateng has appeared on a
reality television show as he made attempts to bring his
couture custom clothing to the United States. His famous
clientele include Samuel L. Jackson, Russell Crowe and Will
Smith.

There are just 19 tailors remaining on Savile Row, and the
cost prohibitive real estate may force more of them out of
the area. In 2005, the Savile Row Bespoke Association was
formed, and efforts are underway to help maintain the
reputation and integrity of Savile Row.

----------------------------------------------------
Paul Beckett is a retailer that specialises in bespoke
men's shirts from his base in Bath, England. Find out more
about tailoring at: http://www.kjbeckettbespokeshirts.com